Mason is a member of the most mysterious and discussed secret society, Freemasonry. The society appeared in 1717 when three Masonic lodges united and formed the Grand Lodge of London. The basis of Freemasonry is the medieval shop of craftsmen, so the second name of Freemasonry is the Society of Free Stonemasons.
Masonry is one of the world’s largest and most enigmatic international social movements whose ideology combines elements of religion, science, and esotericism.
The movement exists in the form of lodges, which form unions. All meetings of the lodges of the “freemasons” are closed, and to have access to them and become a member of the lodge, the potential candidate has to go through a difficult initiation ceremony.
Today, Freemasonry has more than 39 thousand lodges around the world and about 10 million Masons. However, it is extremely difficult to give an exact figure, as the main characteristic of society is Secrecy.
Masons themselves trace the history of their society back to the time of the construction of Solomon’s Temple. According to legend, the builders of the temple formed a fraternity for mutual support and the transfer of knowledge of architecture. Hence, the original name of the society was “Society of Free Stonemasons”.
What is Mason?
Mason is the name of the secret society, Freemasonry, member. Freemasonry was established as an “institution” at the beginning of the 18h century, though its roots go back to the King’s Solomon Temple building process, according to the legend.
As for the visual identity, the emblem of Freemasonry is based on the main symbols of the society, which are the trowel, the angle, the compass, and the Temple of Solomon.
Already in 1723, James Anderson in his Book of Statutes gives a legend of the history of Freemasonry that identifies it with the art of architecture, and in a broader sense, with the liberal art of geometry. This is why in Masonic circles architectural treatises served not only as a source of inspiration for builders but also as a subject of Masonic reflection.
Freemasonry uses the traditional methods and tools of stonemasonry to teach Masonry the principles of brotherly love, friendship, and morality. And this is reflected in the main emblem of the secret society, in which the two main elements are the compass and the square. The elements in dark yellow, closer to gold, are placed one above another, creating a rhombus-like figure in the negative space.
On the blue background of the central element, the bold and elegant capital “G” is set in the same shade of yellow, as the main elements. The “G” features a stable serif font with a small fish one detail on the left. The letter might stand for geometry or religion. As everything, connected to the secret society, its badge simply can not have a single correct meaning and explanation.
The whole composition looks like a geometrically stylized interpretation of the All-Seeing Eye, another symbol of Freemasonry.
The Freemasonry logo has never been changed, although there is its modern version, which can today be seen as often as the classic one. It is composed of the same elements and features of the same size and location, but the contours are softened and the angles and ends are sharpened. The elements are drawn in solid black, and placed on a white background, looking contemporary and stylish in their minimalism.